This cheesy tater tot breakfast casserole is a really easy, one-skillet recipe made with ground breakfast sausage, tater tots, eggs, milk, and cheddar cheese. It’s got all the elements of a hearty breakfast in every bite and comes together in about 10 minutes with 45 minutes of baking.
I’ve always been enamored with hearty breakfast skillet recipe. A good breakfast casserole must have protein, (bacon, sausage, or both), it must contain eggs and cheese, and it needs to have some form of crispy potatoes. Essentially all the breakfast elements you really care about. You’ll be the unsung hero of brunch…I promise.
If you’re looking for more delicious brunch recipes, try my fancy baked French toast recipe, sweet potato breakfast hash with eggs, and my breakfast stuffed sweet potato boats!
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe contains all of your favorite breakfast items in every single bite. The combination of sausage, egg, hashbrowns, and cheese is like your favorite breakfast sandwich in casserole form!
Ingredients
- Tater tots: standard tater tots are all you need.
- Ground breakfast sausage: ground Italian sausage works too if that’s all you can find.
- Eggs: regular-sized brown or white eggs.
- Finely shredded mild cheddar cheese: you can also use a combination of mozzarella and cheddar cheese.
- Milk: milk adds a creamy texture to the eggs so it has a fluffier finish like quiche.
- Onion and garlic powder: these spices aren’t 100% necessary but I love to flavor the entire dish with a little onion and garlic.
- Bacon: bacon is an optional addition if you please. If you’re cooking a bunch of bacon, save a few extra pieces and sprinkle it on. Bake the bacon for simplicity.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.
How to Make Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Step 1.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 2.
In a cast-iron skillet, cook sausage until browned and fully cooked through. Use the tip of a spatula to break the sausage into small pieces. Soak up any excess fat with a paper towel by moving the sausage to one side and tilting the pan.
Step 3.
Use the spatula to gently press down on the sausage, creating a single even layer filling the entire bottom of the skillet.
Step 4.
Whisk eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Add salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and milk. Whisk and set aside.
Step 5.
Layer tater tots (on their side) on top of sausage as evenly as possible with no overlap. Use as many as you can comfortably fit with a little bit of space in between.
Step 6.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese (if adding bacon add it now) and then pour the egg mixture evenly over the entire skillet.
Step 7.
Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes on the middle rack. Tots should be golden brown. In the last 5 minutes, top with an additional 1/2 cup of cheese and return to the oven.
Step 8.
Remove from the oven, garnish with green onions, and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is perfect for a cast iron skillet because you can make everything in a single pan. You can alternately cook the sausage in a pan and transfer it to an oven-safe casserole pan or deep pie dish if that’s all you have.
While I prefer ground sausage, you can use small sliced sausage links if that’s all you can find.
Yes, you can assemble and store it in the fridge a day in advance of baking. The texture may be slightly different but it will still be delicious.
More Breakfast Recipes
- Eggs benedict with avocado
- Corned beef hash and eggs
- Fancy baked French toast
- Sweet potato breakfast boats
- Breakfast skillet
- Crispy baked bacon
Enjoy this recipe? If you made this recipe, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments!
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Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole Recipe
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Description
A delicious one-skillet brunch recipe made with ground breakfast sausage, golden tater tots, eggs, and melted cheddar cheese. It’s got all the elements of a hearty breakfast in every bite.
Ingredients
- 28-ounce bag of tater tots
- 1 pound ground breakfast sausage (Italian sausage works too)
- 8 eggs
- 1 cup finely shredded mild cheddar cheese (or mozzarella/cheddar combo)
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Green onions for garnish
- Optional 4-5 strips bacon, fully cooked and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a cast-iron skillet, cook sausage until browned and fully cooked through. Use the tip of a spatula to break the sausage into small pieces. Soak up any excess fat with a paper towel by moving the sausage to one side and tilting the pan.
- Use the spatula to gently press down on the sausage, creating a single even layer filling the entire bottom of the skillet.
- Whisk eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Add salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and milk. Whisk and set aside.
- Layer tater tots (on their side) on top of sausage as evenly as possible with no overlap. Use as many as you can comfortably fit with a little bit of space in between.
- Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese (if adding bacon add it now) and then pour the egg mixture evenly over the entire skillet.
- Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes on the middle rack. Tots should be golden brown. In the last 5 minutes, top with an additional 1/2 cup of cheese and return to the oven.
- Remove from the oven, garnish with green onions, and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
You don’t have to make this in a cast iron skillet if you dont have one. You can use a similar oven-safe pan or transfer everything to a baking dish for the baking portion.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 544
- Sugar: 1.8g
- Sodium: 1253mg
- Fat: 29.7g
- Saturated Fat: 8.5g
- Carbohydrates: 52.9g
- Fiber: 5.4g
- Protein: 16.6g
- Cholesterol: 181mg
Keywords: sausage hashbrown breakfast casserole, brunch recipes, breakfast casserole recipe
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